Movable contact member.



.E. M.- JONES. MOVABLE GGNTACI MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHDTD-LITHO.. WASHING FON. DA C.

E. M. JONES. MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

1 109 ,587, Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. DA C.

E. M. JONES. MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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THE MORRIS PETER@` CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

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ELMER ivi. JoNEs, oF ATLANTA, eEoReIA,`Ass-IGN0R To JoNEs, srerNAi.y SYSTEM .j

COMPANY, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA, A `CORP'ORAIION OF GEORGIA.

, MovABLE coNTAcT MEMBER..

To all whom it may concern.' .Y

Be it known that I, ELMER M. JoNEs, a

citizen of the United States,residing at Atlantmin the county of Fulton and *State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and,v

useful `Improvement in Movable Contact Members, of which the following ris a full,

clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. f v This invention relates to an electric signal system wherein it is desired to have a vari'-y ably positioned member along thetrack way cooperating with a moving vehicle.

My device is well adapted "for use inicon`r nection with a cab signal system, employinghome or distant ramps, which are movable into and out of position to cooperate. with a` movable member of an indication controller 'or air brake mechanism ona locomotive or p to the electrical actuation `and until the conditions of the circuit change; for automati- -cally cleaning the surface of the ramp when actuated, and for automatically operating a visible signal when the ramp is moved.

The drawings clearly disclose my invention embodied in the mechanism for moving a member in the form of a ramp laterally consequent upon an electric actuation.v Figure 1 is across section through such mechanism; Fig.` 2 is a plan of the mechanism; Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking toward the ramp; and F ig. t is a view of the visible signal mechanism. f As showninthe drawings, 1v indicates a casing or frame of the device, which is a long boX-like .member preferably a single integral casing.' f

2 indicates a removable door for the back and upper side of the casing, this door being shown as held in place by a fork 3 at the upper end and a hasp l carried by the casing near the lower end of the back and proje receive a padlock.

Speccation of Letters Patent. Application mea Juiyv, 1909. serial No. 506,277.

`carry it out of the cting through the door and adapted to y p n j p, j ,y

` f n `When the current through the magnet is f Patented Sept. 1, 1914:.

The ramp designated 5, consists of a comparatively long block, pivoted near its lower edge by means of gudgeons 6.' This ramp, when in the extendedposition, has a substantially horizontal surface 7, the end portions of which arey inclined downwardly. The mechanism about `to be described operates to. swing the ramp toward the `casing to path of some cooperating member on the vehicle.

4To cause the inward movement Lof the ramp underelectric control, I provide the following mechanism: 20 indicates a motor,

on the armature shaft 21 of which is a worm `22. kThis worm meshes with a worm wheel `23.,.onjthe shaft of which is a sprocketwheel r25." Running onthis sprocket wheel and on another sprocket ywheel 26 is a sprockety 'chain 27 havingpins y28 projecting at the link joints. arm 31,1 the other end yof which vcarries a latchlever 32. This lever has a *bifurcated lower end 34: which may straddle the chain andstand in the path of the pins 28 or just above their path according to the position of the latch lever. The latch lever'is acted upon by a light spring 40 tending to keep it elevated and by a magnet 42, which coperates with an armature 4.3 on the lever,'the 'magnet ybeing mounted on the-.bracket 44: vsecured onthe arm 31. The magnet and the motor are on branches of the sameelectric circuit. When" this circuit 1s closed the motor begins 'to rotate and the chain travels in the direction of its upper reach away from `the tramp. Immediately the pins 28 engage the forked end of the latch lever and move the arm and ramp inwardly. This movement 'continues luntil the latch vlever passes `between the two projecting jaws 50 of a latch adapted to hold the lever.

On the inner face of the ramp isa projecting lug 55, which, as the ramp comes to its innermost position, is adapted to engage thelower one of a pair of contact strips 57 Pivoted to the ramp at 30 is an;

andseparate them. These strips form afportion of the circuit to the'motory so that when the lug causes this separation the circuit of the motor is broken and the ldriving action stops. Accordingly, the ramp isleft standing in its innermost or'safetywposition so long as the current continues to tiow through 1 the magnet,` the magnet holding the latch in operative position.

interrupted the outward pull on the arm caused by the overhanging weight of the ramp swings the latch lever downwardly away from the magnet, thus releasing the toe of the latch lever from the stationag latch and allowing the ramp to return by gravity to normal position.

The electric circuit to cause the above operation is very simple and may consist of two main lines a and Z9, each of which respectively branch into lines a and a2, and Z9 and b2. The lines a and Z2 are terminals of the magnet 42, while the lines a2 and 52 pass to the terminals of the motor, as -indicated by the binding posts 63 and 64. The line b2 is broken at the Contact strips 57 heretofore referred to, these strips normally contacting with each other and constituting terminals of the two portions of this line b2.

Thev visible signal is suitably connected with the ramp, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and may comprise a blade 7 0 pivoted at 71 and connected by a link 7 2 with a bell crank 7 3 which is connected by a link 74 with an ear 7 5 on the inner face of theramp. Vhen the ramp is in its outermost position, the blade is horizontal or at danger. When the v ramp is drawn inward to safety position, the

blade swings downwardly to a more or less vertical position, which represents safety, as will be well understood.

To prevent the formation of ice on the upper surface of the ramp or the collection of snow or dirt thereon, I provide a cleaning member S0 which is in the form of a plate hinged to the casing at 8l and having its outer and lower edge 82 resting on the upper surface of the ramp. During the inward movement of the ramp, this engaging edge of the plate travels relatively outwardly along the ramp shoving off any snow, ice, dirt or other accumulation thereon. The cleaning member is provided with a downwardly extending lug S5 which in the normal position of the parts stands behind the lug 55 on the ramp and prevents any accidental or surreptitious raising of the cleaner. Accidental inward movement of the ramp is prevented by the pins 2S whichrwould be hit by the back side of the lower end 84 of the latch lever.

It will be seen from the above description that my mechanism is simple in construction, that there is nothing about it to get out of order, and that it is not adapted to be injuriously effected by snow or ice. v The gearing provided is very powerful, so that a ramp of considerable weight may be eifectively moved by an electric current of ordinary strength'. rlhe ramp responds immediately to the circuit change, moving from a normal danger position to a safety position claim is:

and there remaining so long as the circuit conditionV continues, returning automatic ally to the danger position when this condition is interrupted.

YHaving thus described my invention, what l. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured along a trackway, a member parallel with the track and pivoted to the casing having an exposed contact surface,

arms for moving said member transversely into the casing, a motor, mechanism driven thereby, and controllable means for connecting said arms with said mechanism.

2. The combination of a contact member mounted alongside of the trackway and substantially parallel thereto and having an exposed upper surface parallel with the track, means for moving said contact member, and means for automatically scraping across its surfaceconsequent upon such movement.

3. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured along a trackway, a movable contact member parallel with the trackway and carried by the casing, means for moving yit transversely into the casing, and a cleaning plate extending longitudinally of the contact member and carried by the casing, for scraping across the surface of the contact member by resting against it, whereby said cleaning plate moves relatively alongthe surface of the contact member.

4. The combination of a movable contact member having a normally upwardly facing surface, means for moving such member, a

cleaning device adapted to rest on the surface and scrape across it as the contact member moves, and means for normally locking the cleaning device against movement.

5. The combination of a casing extending lengthwise of a trackway, a movable contact member extending lengthwise of and pivoted to the casing, a motor, gearing driven bythe motor and including a sprocket chain, arm Vconnected with said contact member, and a magnetically controlled latch on the arm for connecting the arm with the sprocket chain, whereby the Contact member is moved into the casing transversely.

6. The combination of a longitudinal casing extending lengthwise of a'trackway, a

movable ramp extending lengthwise of and Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atents,

Washington, D. C. 

